Umbrella Revolution Wall 2014

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Had a conversation with another parent trying the Canto schooling route to gain some language skills in the K1-K3 years. It's really hard for all parties--parents, teachers and kid. It has not been an easy route for Keohi, and nothing is really certain about the outcome or the effect of pedagogical styles or expectations given his cultural context and background...there have been many sleepless nights and lots of agonizing. It has not been easy. But I will say this proudly on his behalf: Canto is finally kicking in!

There are now some words or phrases uttered with some serious mimicry of tones. He's getting it. It's limited. But it finally began to click this summer. We have started Year 3 of Canto. We did have some tutoring. No, we were pretty bad at doing the homework (but I don't care about the writing -- I just hoped he could speak and make friends). I hope that it sticks as Canto schooling won't be forever. Given the status of my Canto, it's nice to know that in a desperate situation I will be able to call upon my son for some basic translation.

My father, my husband, and my son claim childhoods in different countries: Korea, England and Hong Kong. There is clearly some larger aspect here that could provide hours of psychoanalytic amusement, but suffice to say, a good portion of my life has been in some kind of cultural or linguistic translation...One might frame this romantically. Or one could say that it's like permanently riding a train because you have no real final stop...

Friday, September 21, 2012

Time for the annual lantern making. This is how you know you have a Hong Kong kid. The annual fall project...

Sumo Mania has hit our house…well, it’s been here for about
10 months…I introduced Keohi to sumo wrestling via Youtube clips from National
Geographic as I thought he was getting too obsessed with unrealistic body
images of muscle bound freaks.

But, yes, the passionate nature of my son took over, as
usual. Whatever Keohi does is full on and very take-no-prisoners.
Unfortunately, this may be a genetic trait as this is clearly something he
shares with his father, myself, and every other member of my family! We’re a
family of fairly fanatical types. Only my logical mom, who at times is very
random, is there to mellow us out.

These days we are running a one-boy sumo stable. I found if I actually tell Keohi that sumos do X, then there is a little more enthusiasm--like, sumos help their mommies set the table...Keohi says he wants to bulk up and downs bowls of udon
noodles (chonkonabe, as the Japanese say) and is a sumo fanatic. Loincloth has
been again pulled out. Last night he was slathering lotion all over his body so
he could get that smooth sumo skin and has been asking me daily to stick his
hair up in a topknot. He was also doing the pre-match squat in front of the
mirror and marching around with his arms bent at his side (like he is really
big, so his arms can’t touch his sides!) and murmurs the Japanese he hears on
the youtube. For all I know he could be saying, give me another beer. He
pretends his apple juice is a beer as sumos drink beer and then sleep. He has
requested a futon on the floor (we have one on our bed, so no big deal), and
has tried to throw salt on the ground for the pre-match ceremony. I am involved
in daily matches on our small rug. So is Angie. Stephen gets the weekend rotation
of this. Since he told me his main goal in life is to become a sumo wrestler
(or a fish market worker who kills squid) and this was now nearly a year ago,
I’m thinking that this could be my future—me cheering for my 400 pound son…

Instead, it was a family effort and we made this sumo, from
recycled paper, toilet rolls, plastic bottles, tofu container stomach, finger
and regular paint (yellow, red and white make peach), string, glue, wire and
doublestick tape. It’s Asashoryu, the Mongolian former Yokozuna until he got
kicked out as he beat up a bouncer (I explained to Keohi, this sumo had NO SELF
CONTROL. Self-control is our mantra for the fall…this will clearly be a
lifelong challenge for him…)

So we also watched a short doc on white American guys who do
sumo in SoCal (where else but LA?) and various matches with the Fijian and
Estoniana sumo. So Keohi says to me: I’m going to be ALL sumos when I grow up.
Japanese, Korean, Mongolian and English ones. I say, what English sumos? He
says, the ones in the gym on youtube. I realize, oh yeah, those white guys in
LA.

This discovery has now led to a strong suspicion that any
male in Mui Wo with a large beer belly is a possible closeted sumo wrestler!
This is a little embarrassing. We were in the swimming pool a few weeks ago and
he says to me, MOM. LOOK. I glance over. It’s a British guy with a very large
stomach. DO YOU THINK..Keohi says excitedly…I say NO. Keohi, no, please, don’t
ask him. He’s not a sumo. He just has a big tummy. Keohi is visibly crushed.
Still, he is suspicious. He wants to ask the guy. So I have to add: He’s very
big, and maybe his feelings will be hurt if you ask him if he is a sumo
wrestler. Some people are just big. And they aren’t sumo wrestlers…

So Mui Wo guys, hope you aren't offended if Keohi asks you if you are sumo wrestler. If it's any consolation, he thinks you are super cool. The bigger the stomach, the better...

Keohi the Drummer 2009

South Lantau Fair Fall 2009

Butterflies Everywhere 2009

One of Lantau's extraordinary insects. The kind that does not leave you scratching....

Butterfly South Lantau 2009

Stunning and elusive

Green Bananas, 2009

We have to wait until they turn yellow...

Keohi and Steph in South Lantau 2009

Hiking past the gravesite. Beautiful.

I Need a Hug from Dada

Everyone feels better now

Hiking South Lantau 2009

Up the trail to Tung Chung

Baby Kaii and Katie 2009

Friends in the village

Hanging in front of the Lam's House

Helmet, ball, dinosaur undies, and slippers. Life is good.

Watermelon at the pink table 2009

I want the BIG PIECE. NO. THE BIG PIECE. Good. Finally you listened to me.

Halloween Family Pic 2009

American Halloween in Mui Wo 2009

Pirates from Luk Tei Tong

Getting ready to loot Downtown Mui Wo Halloween 2009

Halloween 2009

I'm a pirate, matey...note my matching diaper

Lawnmower Fall 2009

Mowing the lawn in my bike helmet and pink Wellies...

Keohi with sunglasses and bike--looking like Dada...

This my bike. MY BIKE.

Christian Zheng Sheng Association forum

Mui Wo gathers in the gym

Keohi and the Christian Zheng Sheng Assoc.

This is Democracy

May 2009 Keohi in Shades

Earth Tones...

Keohi, Grandma, and His Wheels

A gift from Grandma

Playtown, Kennedy Town, HK

Family Outing...Playtown!

The Hong Kong Insect Bite Index (HKIB)

The 2009 Mosquito Season officially over...sort of. November 24, 2009. The season's last mosquito killed by Stephen at 3AM.

First mosquito bite of 2009. Yup. Last night. On my back. February 5, 2009.The season begins...anticipating a wild rally in the upcoming months due to the killing of OBGB's indigenous frogs.And we have Japanese Encephalitis in our area. Isn't that swell?